Pickled Beets w/wo Onions?

[cats]

Well, I wish to pickle some beets, as my husband likes beets, which are not one of my favorite veggies, but I do like pickled things, so have gotten the idea to try doing this. I have looked through three of my favorite cookbooks and the recipes vary greatly on vinegar/sugar quantities, type of vinegar (apple cider vs. white), as well as spices to add. None of the recipes included adding onions at all. One recipe did suggest pickled egg and beets, but said shelf life refrigerated only one week. I don't plan to can the beets, but would like them to hang around in the fridge for like 30 days or so till we finish them off. One thing they all agreed on was that the beets have to be cooked first, and that's no problem, been there - done that. So, perhaps I could hear some of your TNT recipes, as I know some of you kind souls will have the "secret" for successful results. Many thanks.

 

[Constance]

Cats, there's no reason why you couldn't add onions. One year I added cauliflower florets and red cabbage, and that was a yummy combination.
For the pickling solution, I use equal amounts water, vinegar and sugar. To that you can add whatever spices you like, or even leave them out.
I don't grow beets in my garden anymore, so when I get a yen for pickled beets, I buy several cans of the small whole beets, and use the juice in the can in place of the water.
They last indefinately in the fridge.

 

[lindatooo]

This is just an idea....but

How about roasting the beets in the oven first - instead of boiling them. It intensifies the flavor and you can roast the onions as well - about 450 and drizzled with evoo or anoter oil (the evoo would give more flavor)

Just spread them in a greased pan, drizzle with oil, add a little salt and cook for about 30 - 45 minutes (depending on the size of the beets and if they are cut into pieces. They should be fairly soft. Sweet onions would be tasty too - cut in quarters. Then while they are still hot add a good brine. I would add garlic but that's just me!

My only question would be if leaving out the oil would make them pickle better? Or pickle safer? But surely one of our great chefs here will answer that question!

If you wanted to keep them for any length of time you would certainly need to put them through a water bath but I would think 30 days would be ok! I've done eggs this way.

Oh great! Now I need to go buy some beets!

2

 

[luvs]

my Parents make beets with onions all of the time. i don't like beets so i don't eat them, but they love 'em. they just slice up an onion, add that to a can of beets w/ the liquid, and add in white vinegar. they put it in the fridge for several hours and sometimes overnight. i've sometimes seen them put salt and pepper on them.

 

[cats]

Hi everyone. Well, I finally tried making the pickled beets w/onions I had questions about. What I did was combine recipes from four different favorite cookbooks and used the ingredients that were most consistent with each, and others I felt sounded good, with adjustments in measurements of ingredients. I wrote down exactly how I prepared them so I could make any changes if necessary in the future with the ingredients.They really did come out excellent and I thought I would pass along what I did to make them.
1. Peel beets (with gloves on) and cook until tender for 45-60 min. until fork tender. Cool beets in liquid.
2. Slice beets about 1/2" thick or so, reserve liquid. My batch ended up with 6 cups of beets.
3. Slice one small to medium sized onion.
4. In large pot combine and bring to boil stirring occasionally:
One cup white vinegar
3/4 cup beet juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbls. mixed pickling spice
1/2 to 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
5. Add sliced beets and onion to pot, stir and again bring to boil - simmer for 5 min., stirring occasionally.
6. Cover and chill in fridge, preferably for 8 hrs., stirring occasionally. I used a glass container to chill and store the finished product. I ended up with enough to slightly overfill a 3 lb. jar. (I used a large Prego sauce glass jar.) My cookbooks say they will last in the fridge for about one month.

These are not too sweet and not too sour, just right. The pickling spice gives them a very pleasant flavor. All the ingredients are readily available and inexpensive. I think they will make an excellent side "salad" for just about any meal. Hope anyone who might try them will like them as much as we do.

 

[Constance]

Cats, next time, don't peel the beets until after you boil them...the skins will slide right off.
They'll keep a lot longer than a month...I'd say 6 months would be more like it.

 

[cats]

Constance. Thanks for your comments. Any of the recipes I found for making the pickled beets did say to cook them first prior to peeling. I decided it might be less messy and they would be easier to handle and chill after cooked if they were peeled beforehand. They weren't hard to peel before cooking, much like peeling a potato prior to cooking. Anyhow, that's why I did it the way I described in my version of making pickled beets w/onions. They did turn out great and, the way we are eating and enjoying them, I seriously doubt they will last around here any where near as long as a month, and this is said by someone who doesn't really care for beets.